WisPolitics Capitol Chats

Today's Midday podcast covers Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes acknowledging that some businesses are having a hard time finding help but said numbers don't support the idea that extra unemployment benefits are keeping people out of the workforce.

Assembly and Senate committees heard several mostly-Republican backed bills that would ban transgender girls from competing in girl sports in K-12 and collegiate competitions. Supporters say they would protect women athletes while opponents say they would hurt transgender kids.

Today's Midday podcast covers Senate Republicans and business owners arguing a bill that would end a federal boost to unemployment benefits would help address the state's worker shortage. Dems say the workforce shortage was apparent even before the $300 extra payments.

Today's Midday podcast covers state Sen. Steve Nass slamming the idea of ending the tuition freeze for the UW System that's been in place for the past eight years. He told his GOP colleagues the university doesn't need more money. But UW System President and former Governor Tommy Thompson, a Republican, says the schools would benefit from ending the freeze.

Today's Midday podcast covers only 15 state legislators, who last year reported attending conferences or speaking at seminars, a sharp drop from 2019 numbers. The decline in lawmaker travel during the pandemic year was detailed in the 2020 economic interest statements for all 131 lawmakers who were serving in the Legislature.

Today's Midday podcast covers a bill, now in the Senate, that would create a special commission to investigate what happened the day of the attack and what led up to it. The commission would then submit recommendations to improve security. Republicans opposed the bill. They say the investigation would be redundant because it overlaps with investigations from the FBI, Department of Justice and others.

Today's Midday podcast covers Wisconsin's congressional delegation divisions on the escalating fighting in Israel and Palestine as U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin calls for a ceasefire. GOP U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson says Israel has a right to defend itself from Hamas.

Today's Midday podcast covers who wants to spend how much of whose dollars on expanding broadband access across the state. Gov. Evers announced a $100 million grant program to expand broadband and LFB says using federal dollars to expand access would cost more than using state funds.

Today's Midday podcast covers entertainment venues that have been struggling for more than a year without revenue. Some of those shuttered entertainment venues could see federal relief dollars this week.

Today's Midday podcast covers new mask-wearing CDC guidelines for vaccinated and unvaccinated people and what the future of the state's effort looks like as some mass vaccination clinics close.